Pride and Prejudice and Glee
by Cassprincess
Summary: The story of two cliques, whose social standing makes it nearly impossible for them to be in the same room together. Although with this kind of attraction? Social Standing be damned. Puckleberry Klaine Brittana Chang-squared and Quartie. AU. T for swears.
1. Chapter 1

****I probably should not be starting another WIP, but oh well. This should only be three parts (fingers crossed). So I've been without internet for a few months and had only a handful of DVD's. So I've watched the 1995 Colin Firth edition of "Pride and Prejudice" _a lot_. Also "Lost in Austen". So please enter the AU world of McKinley High, a school split in two between the incredibly popular jock's, and everyone else. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Pride and Prejudice and Glee<strong>

**Part One**

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><p>It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a popular high school student in possession of superior social standing must be in want of somehow being <em>fixed<em>. It is also a truth, universally acknowledged, that a student on the opposite spectrum of the popularity scale will be an excellent instrument in the fixing.

Of course the blissfully unaware popular student has no idea that he or she needs to be fixed, but as they roam the hallowed halls of high school, there are teachers that pick up on the intense desire to bust that popular kid out of their shell and make them embrace their inner loser.

And of course, Mr. Schuester was one of those teachers. He found himself sitting opposite Coach Shannon Bieste in the faculty break room for lunch one day with Emma Pillsbury to his right.

"Noah Puckerman missed his appointment last week," Emma sighed. The boy had missed 95% of his mandatory, court appointed counseling sessions since his stint on Juvie last year. Which meant he had made it to the first meeting and had stepped out five minutes after it started. The counselor looked to Shannon and asked, "Isn't there a way you can, possibly, maybe, _gently_, FORCE him to come in?"

"Sorry, kiddo. No can do," Shannon shrugged. She blew out an exasperated breath and admitted wearily, "If I could get the kid to do anything, we'd make States without blinking an eye. He's a damn good natural leader, and currently he's only interested in leading the kids into Sunday morning hangovers."

"Don't you think its Finn who is the gang leader?" Will asked curiously.

"Definitely not," Shannon shook her head with a chuckle. "For one, they aren't all walking around with icy hot in their eyeballs and tampons strung up their noses."

"Oh!" Emma gasped, her eyes becoming as wide as saucers.

"Don't ask," Shannon advised gravely. "You've got Puckerman in charge of what they do. Santana is a close second. Blaine goes along with Puckerman because he's his best friend and because he's quote, _dating _Santana. Mike just goes along with it to keep the peace. Hudson is in outer space most of the time. And Quinn…"

"Quinn has had a rough couple of years," Emma said quietly, referring to the baby she and Puck had given up for adoption sophomore year. They had swept all of their emotions for that into a tightly locked box. A tightly locked box that was prone to explosions. Puck's explosions were easier to diagnose as he usually just wound up in the back of a squad car. Quinn's latest explosion was to get her hair dyed pink, a tattoo of Ryan Seacrest on her back and a pack of Marlboro ultra light's a day.

"You know, I bet that it we combined our kids for free period together, Coach, we would all reach a mutually beneficial conclusion," Will rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I need a few more kids to round out Glee Club this year, you know, kids who Rachel can't get transferred out or expelled. And I don't even want to think about how Brittany convinced that kid last year to move to El Savador. I need people who can't be convinced to drop off the face of the earth and I _know_ that your jocks can dance."

"And sing," Shannon added. "I've heard them on the bus rides home from away games. Some of 'em are pretty good, I'd wager. Blaine and Santana, I mean, I'm not so sure about their uh-relationship? But…wooh boy, I'll tell you, those kids could be on American X Factor or something."

"And being in the creative arts has been known to have a positive effect on athleticism. And also, it may even keep Noah and his friends out of trouble long enough for me to help them all," Emma said excitedly.

"I can't _make_ them sing and dance," Shannon shook her head warily.

"But we could reorganize our free period class rosters. I take half of your popular kids and keep my Glee kids…put them in a room together and see what happens," Will said excitedly. "This could be what this school needs to get everyone…together! No more popularity wars. No more kids dropping out and moving to the next district over due to intense bullying. No more losers and winners. Just a happy student population!"

"Faculty please report to the cafeteria to subdue the 11:45 am riot," Principal Figgin's announcement broke through over the P.A. system. He sounded bored, which was to be expected as this was typical behavior for William McKinley students on a Friday.

"I'd be willing to just go with no more 11:45 am riots," Bieste sighed as they all abandoned their lunches to try and contain the violence and injuries.

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><p>"Have you heard the latest?"<p>

Rachel looked up from her pink planning binder with a curious expression. Kurt usually had the best gossip, and she tried her best not to indulge in such a frivolous activity, but his knowledge had saved them from more than a few slushie attacks. It was always good to be forewarned, even if Kurt's _latest_ was about the fashionableness of red belts. The rest of their glee club: Artie, Tina, Mercedes and bless her heart, _Brittany_, circled around Kurt and Rachel, eager for a dish of steaming hot gossip.

"Our classes are totally jacked up, yo," Artie beat Kurt to the punch, causing the gossip to pout.

"Mr. Schue sent like, ten kids to Coach Bieste's room for this period and we're getting mystery jocks," Mercedes confirmed.

"It's like a foreman exchange program," Brittany nodded. "I hope we get Blaine. If his hair and Mr. Schue's hair are in the same room together, magical things might happen."

"Of course, sweetie," Kurt grinned at his excited and happy friend. He looked to Rachel then and they tried to hide their amused looks at Brittany's oft-spouted, oft-ridiculous declarations. "Any who, I'm sure this is just another ploy of the powers that be at McKinley to end the class war that has been waging for the last few years."

"Try decades," Artie countered. "My uncle graduated in 1965 and he said that even back then Jocks made the whole school miserable."

"But when Mr. Schuester went to school, Glee was cool," Tina countered. "I mean, things can change guys."

"If wishes were horses, sweet Tina," Kurt shook his head. "I'd be wearing chaps."

"GUYS! I have an announcement!" Will clapped his hands together as he walked into the room. "Our free period, which we usually spend on Glee work, is gaining a few new members. Can I introduce to you….drumroll…"

The six gleek's all began a well-rehearsed drumroll as they slapped their thighs in perfect unison, bright smiles on their faces.

"Mr. Blaine Anderson!" Will announced.

Blaine furrowed his brow as he walked into the room, unaccustomed to such high volume nerdiness. His only job at McKinley was to go along with whatever his childhood best friend, Noah Puckerman said or did. He stood next to Will with his hands balled up into fists at his sides, hoping that he wouldn't fidget or appear nervous before Will finished introducing the new class attendees in such ridiculous fashion. His eyes darted to the ground after connecting for a brief second with Kurt's and Blaine had to focus _extra_ hard not to fidget. This was not going to be good.

"Mr. Mike Chang!" Will smiled.

"Please stop?" Mike asked with an embarrassed, nervous smile as he shared a shrug with Blaine. Mike wasn't like the rest of his cronies in that he didn't really mind switching classrooms, or even the Gleek's they would be forced to cohabitate with for 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. But he really didn't like this whole spotlight thing.

"Mr. Finn Hudson!"

"What's up gu-oof!"

Finn tripped over his admittedly large feet as he walked in with a grin on his face. He chuckled easily at his own clumsiness and looked to Mr. Schuester with a winning smile.

"Ms. Santana Lopez and Ms. Quinn Fabray!"

"Oh no," Brittany whispered as the two girls skulked in. "Quinn's never forgiven me for being more awesome than her at cheerleading camp when we were 8. She's been plotting my death ever since then. Guys, please protect me from the cotton candy when it comes."

"Will do, Britt," Kurt smiled at the Cheerio. Brittany was the anomaly of the school and had been his best friend since the second day of freshman year. No one could tell from the appearance of the gorgeous, blonde cheerleader, but she was all Gleek and proud of it. Sue Sylvester had tolerated having the eccentric girl on the squad for one reason only: she was a phenomenal dancer. Her spaciness and general crazy behavior (i.e. getting lost in the Lima Sewer system for the summer between freshman and sophomore year), kept her ostracized from the rest of the jocks. Btu she had landed in capable hands. Even Rachel loved her, and not just for her incredible dancing ability.

"And last, but certainly not least, Mr. Noah Puckerman," Will clapped.

The students looked to the empty doorway and thirty long seconds passed before Will tried again,

"Mr. Noah Puckerman!"

Rachel rolled her eyes, her annoyance easily reaching fever pitch level at the King of the Jocks and Neanderthals of McKinley. He was the inventor of the slushie facial. He had ruled the school with an iron fist and a moronic attitude where everyone who wasn't _someone_ would be tossed into dumpsters, locked into port-a-potties or be forced to wear raincoats every day of the year. And now? Now he was cutting into her precious planning time for group musical numbers.

_Unacceptable_.

Rachel rose from her seat and stormed from the room, her sensible penny loafers clicking and clacking against the linoleum of the choir room floor. She put up her right hand in a stop sign motion as Will tried to stop her. She exited the room and huffed as she saw Noah Puckerman lazily leaning against the lockers across the hall from the choir room. She stormed right up to him and positively glared at him.

"Perhaps years of police sirens have taken claim over your hearing, Mr. Puckerman, but Mr. Schuester gave you your cue. If you could please find the energy to rub your last two brain cells together and put one of your feet in front of the other and _repeat_, we could end this charade that Mr. Schuester has cooked up and move on to more important matters."

"Dude...do you breathe?" Puck smirked down at her.

"DO NOT CALL ME _DUDE_," Rachel hissed. "Please do us a favor, and either skip school as per usual or join us in the choir room."

"Or what?" Puck goaded.

"Or I will inform your mother of your atrocious behavior on Saturday at Temple!" Rachel vowed in a whisper. She locked eyes with Puck, and he knew, he _knew_ that he was royally screwed. His lips curled up as a growl threatened to escape before he kicked off of the lockers and slouched his way towards the choir room.

Rachel tried to contain her victorious smirk as she followed, but failed miserably. Puck caught one glimpse of it as he took his seat at the back of the room and he arched an eyebrow. And if Rachel could have read that eyebrow, it would have certainly spelled trouble.

Will feigned doing some paperwork at the piano as the kids tentatively mingled. Tina and Mike had actually sat next to each other and they were talking quietly, small, friendly _happy_ smiles on their face.

"I think Puck has met his match," Mike murmured, his head angled to Tina on his left.

"Rachel is a force to be reckoned with," Tina acknowledged with a shy smile, as a rosy pink blush spread across her cheeks.

"It should be interesting," Kurt smiled, looking pointedly at Tina's coquettish blush.

"Social experimentation isn't interesting, Princess Precious Moments-face," Santana rolled her eyes. "It's torturous. _Obviously_, our idiot teachers are striving for an after school special moment by having me, my man and my posse make friends with you LOSERS so that we can all skip off into the sunset."

"Santana," Blaine wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder to soften the blow of his warning. He found that just touching Santana seemed to intensely distract her from whatever she was doing, or whatever she was _ranting_ about at the moment.

And it wasn't his sexy bod that was making her shut up. Because he was one of the last people on Earth that Santana would find sexy. And he felt the same exact way.

Which was what made their relationship so very special. They both knew the truth about each other. About what they really liked. About _everything_. Santana's gaydar had always been phenomenal and she had propositioned, or threatened him more accurately two days into ninth grade. It was a perfect solution, really. He was Puck's best friend since they were four. He had built in popularity. She was the head bitch in charge, even when Quinn was the head cheerleader and not the head skank. Their combined popularity provided enough smoke for their completely platonic relationship to seem legit to their peers.

Puck seemed to get it though, but for some reason he never said a word. And then of course there was...

"Are those socks from Armani?" Kurt questioned Blaine, leaning over and meticulously giving Blaine's apparel a once over.

"Why would Blainers have socks from a bakery shop? Do they sell edible cupcake socks now?" Brittany demanded, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she clapped her hands together.

Santana _giggled._

Kurt's eyes left Blaine's socks as he caught the two and half seconds of unguarded _beguilement_ on Santana's face.

If a lightbulb could have gone off above his head, it certainly would have. Quinn observed all of this with a smirk on her face and was about to let a verbal missive fly when Puck cleared his throat and gave his baby mamma a glare. She rolled her eyes in response and Puck put up his hand and didn't wait to be acknowledged by Will before asking,

"Senor Schue, do you really think these shenanigans are going to work?"

"Shenanigans," Finn repeated with a a chuckle, causing Mercedes and Artie to giggle as well.

"Puck...just hear me out," Will began.

"NO," Puck snorted obnoxiously.

"God forbid he should actually be agreeable for once," Rachel huffed.

"Get your panties out of a twist, Berry," Puck rolled his eyes. "I signed up for free period with Coach. Not some singing and dancing troupe of barely talented baboons."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Rachel immediately rose to her feet and glared at him. She stamped her foot and repeated herself with even more venom, "HOW _DARE_ YOU?"

"Oh boy," Artie sighed.

"This is probably going to get ugly, you may want to separate the Jews," Quinn advised, flicking her lighter on and off as she stared at the ground with a heightened sense of ennui.

Will had never regretted ignoring a student's advise more.

In less than five minutes, Puck and Rachel went from a shouting match to inspiring a full out brawl amongst the two cliques. Sheet music, chairs and music stands were _flying_ and as he struggled to gain control, the door slammed open to reveal an enraged Principal Figgins and a smirking Sue Sylvester.

"You see, Figgy," Sue jerked her head in disgust towards Will, who was holding back Santana as Kurt brandished a music stand like a karate staff. "Not only is he not pulling his weight at the 11:45 am brawl, to which I blame the crushing weight of hair product coiled amongst those snakes he calls hair, but he's also inciting riots with his ridiculous glee club."

"HEY!" Quinn scoffed, her hand still wrapped up in Mercedes' weave. "I'm _not _ a part of Glee club."

"That's right you messed up Punky Brewster Barbie doll," Mercedes smacked Quinn's hand away and asserted, "You actually have to have talent to be here."

"Listen to me, children!" Figgins commanded. For once, his command wasn't ignored. All eyes were on him. He tried not to panic at this very new feeling of being slightly respected. "As punishment for such blatant rule breaking and disorder...this club, which constitutes everyone in this room at this moment, Miss Fabray, will perform at our school assembly in one week. Get to work children. I will be expecting something absolutely spectacular. If I do not receive it, the punishments will be severe. Those of you who have multiple infractions, _Mr. Puckerman_, will be EXPELLED."

Sue cackled as she followed Figgins out of the room, leaving Will and the kids behind in absolute, stunned and shocked silence. Surprisingly, it was Tina and Mike who simultaneously had the same surprising reaction.

"Well..._fuck_."

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><p>Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed! If you are an Austen fan, can you see where I'm going here, sort of? I hope so! LOVE.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Finish ALL the WIP's! Yay! Good evening! I have a lot of exclamation points already!. What is wrong with me? Oh. That's right. I'm super excited to be posting the second part of this. Tomorrow, hopefully I will update Misfits and the day after that will be the Ghost Whisperer story. I am on a roll.

Thanks to all of you lovely readers out there willing to put up with my crazy. I hope you enjoy!

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><p><strong>Pride and Prejudice and Glee<strong>: **Part Two**

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><p>Six days had passed. One hundred and forty-four hours of intense pain, emotional torture, and loud and obnoxious arguing. It was enough to make saner men tear their hair out and run away screaming. The insults and threats had been flying like missiles throughout the air, cutting down anyone who would dare stand idly in their way. Slushy attacks had increased. Itching powder had been applied to underwear. The 11:45 AM brawl had intensified in bloodshed.<p>

And that was just Rachel and Puck.

Mr. Schuester's free period/Glee class students were no closer to pulling together a cohesive musical number than they had been one hundred and forty-four hours ago. And they officially only had 24 hours left.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Guys, I'm going to go and wait for the pizza delivery guy. Try to get properly warmed up and work out this choreography snafu, and in about ten minutes, come to the faculty room for dinner," Schue announced.

"Carbs. Great," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, you are what you eat, Mr. Schuester," Kurt obnoxiously informed him. He stared at his cuticles in boredom and said, "I wouldn't spend half of my life savings on skin care regimens if I wanted my face to _look_ like pizza."

"I hope he got Hawaiin," Tina sighed.

"Oh my god, my life would be complete if he did," Mike closed his eyes as he felt his stomach growl and drool start to form at the very thought. "It's all the food groups together in a triangle of deliciousness."

Finn watched in wonderment as Tina and Mike giggled together. Crazily enough, it _was _possible to get along even if you sat at completely different lunch tables. If more of them cold pair up and want to kiss each other like Mike and Tina. Then they wouldn't _totally _ suck at assembly tomorrow.

Suddenly...inspiration struck.

Finn looked around at the girls from the original glee club, keen on finding one he could giggle with and get along with so that his friends would notice how awesome it was to giggle and get along. Then they would want to do it too and they all totally wouldn't suck!

His mom was TOTALLY right. He was a smart boy that was definitely going places.

He sang the theme song to _Full House_ in his head as he looked around.

Tina...obviously no. Although she had that goth chick hotness going on, and Asian chicks were totally awesome, he could never do that to his friend Mike. He had a feeling that Mike and Tina might really like each other. He wasn't going to swoop in and be all TALL and AWESOME and steal his buddie's girl away.

Brittany. Brittany was awesome. And gorgeous. And tall. And hilarious and smart. But they were both the same kind of smart. They always had been. Finn knew that if they got together it just wouldn't be right. For one, it would be too much smart in one room. Besides, Santana shot daggers through her eyeballs at him every time he so much as looked at Brittany. No way was he going to get killed by the razor blades in her hair.

Quinn...wait, was Quinn in the popular group or the nerdy Glee group? That was confusing. She wasn't quite with the popular kids anymore, it had been months since she had eaten lunch with them. Mostly she just smoked cigarettes under the bleachers, and he supposed that did make her cool. But edgy. And edgy and cool meant...popular? Finn was super confused at that point, and he furrowed his brow, pulling that special face that Santana and Puck always made fun of. PUCK, that's right. She had a baby with Puck while she was cheating. So no to Quinn, whether she was popular or not.

Mercedes. He looked across the room at the short, curvy girl in question as she rolled her eyes at something Artie was trying to explain to Quinn. Huh...he didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before.

Mercedes had a fabulous set of ta-tas. Like...super awesome.

And she sang really amazing. And she was sassy and fun. And she had all sorts of fun pet names for him. Like white-boy, and wonderbread, and _hey where's your helmet, special Ed?_.

Mercedes was looking like a good choice.

His eye drifted towards Rachel as she glared at Puck.

Well...if Finn was the leader of the jocks...Rachel was definitely the leader of the Gleek's. So that meant that in order to broker a merger between their two warring clans, the two leaders would have to work closely together.

Rachel mouthed off to Puck and in turn Puck flipped up his middle finger at her.

Huh, she wasn't going to be the most pleasant person to work with. But if he got to make out with her, then he supposed it would be kind of super awesome. She wore fun short skirts. Even though he wasn't the world's biggest leg man. He liked boobs better.

Mercedes' had way better boobs than Rachel.

NO. This wasn't about what he wanted. This was about what would not get them egged and slushied and tarred and feathered and glitterbombed on stage tomorrow. He would have to bite the bullet and form a relationship with Rachel so that the Gleek's and the Jock's could get along.

They were all walking towards the faculty room for a much needed break when Finn caught up with Rachel. He walked along side her and kept staring down at her with what he hoped wasn't his constipated look, but rather a look of interest and a likeable look that said _hey, let's date or something_. Rachel was far too occupied however, on muttering under her breath as she glared daggers at Puck, who had spent the majority of his time the past six days making a complete mockery of show choir. And for that, he deserved to rot in Hades.

"Do you kind of like Puck?" Finn asked curiously.

"**WHAT?"** Rachel hissed. She didn't wait for Finn's response, instead she ranted in a prolonged hiss, "That's the most ludicrous suggestion I've ever heard. What on Earth are you _thinking _Finn Hudson? Are you even thinking? I always thought you were exceptionally slow, but I thought that it was a functional sort of mental incapacity. I had no idea that Mercedes was correct in her assessment of you needing a helmet. I _loathe_ him. He is insufferable. And proud. And disgusting. And there are times when I'm not entirely sure he's HUMAN."

"So...does that mean you'd be okay if you and I went out on a date?" Finn wondered, not getting most of the high speed diatribe that left Rachel's mouth.

Rachel could only stare up at him with her mouth agape, utter shock stealing every word from her throat.

"Is that a yes?" Finn wondered after two whole minutes of Rachel standing stuck still in the same pose. "Or-no?"

"No," Rachel whispered. "Emphatically no."

"What's emphatically mean?"

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><p>"Girl, you should have said yes. Think of the boost you would get dating Finn Hudson!" Mercedes scolded the next day as the Gleek's headed towards the choir room in anticipation for the dreaded assembly. "You would at least have your dry cleaning cut in half, cause no one would throw a slushie at the jolly dumb giant's girl."<p>

"Well, Mercedes, if you can see all the wonderful and valid reasons for signing up to date a neanderthal, then by all means, _do it_," Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend. "I prefer to think that when I'm ready for a high school romance it is with someone that can spell both their first and last name."

"P-I-E-R-C-E," Brittany whispered. She held up her left hand and began drawing on it with her right index finger, "B-R-I-T."

"Good enough, dollface," Kurt grinned as Brittany stumbled slightly. Out loud spelling was never her strong point. She could write it out on paper just fine, especially on the standardized tests. Once she found out spelling your name in perfectly shaped ovals meant points, she really applied herself. As was evidenced by her status as national merit scholar semi-finalist. "So, how are we going to avoid this whole thing? It's going to be _terrible_."

"We will rise above it," Rachel insisted. "The show must go on."

"The show sucks though," Brittany shrugged. "Finn keeps stepping on my toes, and I kind of want to make out with Santana when we're singing that part about the love."

"Hot dayum," Artie whispered in appreciation. "Thank you Jesus."

"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!"

The chorus of baboon idiot students down the corridor alerted the Gleek's to a precursor to the 11:45 brawl. They all wordlessly and simultaneously turned to hightail it to the Choir room when the sound of Tina shrieking stopped them in their tracks.

"BACK OFF STICK BITCHES!" Tina roared.

"Oh my!" Rachel gasped as the rest of the Gleek's rushed to the scene, eager too help their friend, no matter the consequence to their own well-being.

"I can't _believe_ that Mike Chang wants to get with you, Goth-nerd."

"Tina is _not_ that Goth. She's steam punk more often than not," Kurt hissed, his blood instantly boiling in defense of his friend.

"Oh look, it's the fortune cookie's nerd squad. What's up losers?" a particularly fearsome looking female field hockey player mocked the assembled Glee kids as they stood solidly next to Tina.

"Back off Chumbawumba," Artie scoffed. "Don't be messing with my homegirl."

"Earth to wheelchair, _you're white_," field hockey girl scoffed.

"Earth to girl who shouldn't be wearing a skirt that short," Brittany smiled. "You shouldn't be wearing a skirt that short. Field hockey is good for strength but not for tone. I could give you a video with Jane Fonda that might help."

Further down the hall, Puck, Mike and Blaine watched the fight unfold as Brittany's well meaning advice fell on deaf and angry ears. Mike fairly itched in his spot and he looked to Puck resolutely as he said quietly,

"We should go over and help."

Puck gave him an incredulous look and shook his head. "NO. This was exactly what our stupid teachers wanted. For us to feel close to the losers and help them out. Thereby, making us losers too. No thanks."

"Tina's a friend now. She's amazing and she doesn't deserve to get beaten to death by field hockey sticks," Mike said in annoyance, going towards the fray, which was becoming increasingly violent.

Puck gripped Mike's shoulder, making it impossible for him to move. He too stared down at the fight and tried not to smirk in appreciation as Rachel let out a gutteral yell and jumped on one of the girls that was currently trying to break one of Kurt's leg with her field hockey stick. He threw a look Blaine's way and the boy, whose eyes had been locked on the glee kids with concern, reluctantly helped Puck to restrain Mike.

"It's not only social suicide for us," Puck said carefully to Mike. "Look what just being friends with Tina does to her. She's fighting off hockey chicks today, tomorrow it'll be the cheerleaders. Then the high-class Asian chicks whose dads own the nail salons. She's going to have enough experience to join fight club within the week."

"I hate to agree," Blaine said quietly. He pursed his lips and admitted, "Puck's right. It's not just your reputation, it's Tina's well-being. Some things just don't mix in high school."

"Fine," Mike shrugged Puck and Blaine off of him in a fit of quiet, white hot anger. He glared at both of his friends before storming off in the other direction, eager to get away from the loud din of the fight.

Blaine and Puck remained, watching the fight carefully. Above all odds, and thanks to Artie's solid wheels running over quite a few toes, the Gleek's were coming out ahead. Puck looked to Blaine as his oldest friend's eyes stayed trained on one Gleek in particular.

"You know I don't care who you like," Puck mumbled, his voice softer and more gentle than most had ever heard it. "You're my best friend, no matter what."

"I know, just...drop it," Blaine said sharply.

"I'm cool if you think fancy kilt pants over there is your, you know, big gulp slushie," Puck nearly smirked, but strained to keep his face serious.

"Drop it," Blaine hissed.

"And I'll protect you any way that I can," Puck promised. "Cause you were like, Gaga or whatever. Born this way. So no one can touch you for liking Ku-"

"DROP IT," Blaine shouted. He glared at Puck and said, "It's social suicide. Just like Mike and Tina. I'd be bringing you, and Santana and the others down with me. I won't do that to you guys. So just _drop it._"

* * *

><p>"So, this was meant to be a celebratory dinner for a successfully assembly," Will Schuester announced to the kids assembled between two large tables at Breadstix. "However, since the enormous fight half of my club was a part of today <strong>shut down the school<strong> due to excessive violence...this is more of an incentive."

"Why do you want to set us on fire?" Brittany wondered.

Santana snickered in delighted amusement, only to have each of her shins kicked by Quinn and Blaine on either side of her.

"Think of the breadstix. If you work together, and accomplish something...there are breadstix...and plenty of other rewards," Schue promised. "Building an exceptional, award winning club will be an amazing accomplishment to put on your college applications. You'd all be founding members."

Will looked around and saw a wall of anomosity and annoyance and decided to let it drop. He sat down with Bieste and Miss Pillsbury and let the kids on their own. Today had been a fiasco. Half of his kids...the half he had thought were the well behaved good kids wound up in in-school suspension due to a ridiculously violent brawl with the girl's field hockey team.

"Things do not look good," Bieste sighed, watching the kids as they attempted to stay in their own social circles. She nodded her head towards Tina and Mike and asked, "I thought those two were starting to get along."

Tina was looking at Mike curiously and he was steadfastly staring at the salt shaker intently. Finally she gave up trying to get his attention and instead, rushed towards the bathroom, followed quickly by Kurt and Brittany.

"That definitely doesn't look like getting along to me," Miss Pilsbury sighed. "It looks like something I'm quite familiar with, actually. Rejection."

"Amen, sister," Bieste nodded.

"I just don't know what to do, you know, after a week of practice they were starting to get okay...almost good," Schue admitted. "If Rachel would open up and embrace the jocks like she has the other glee kids, then maybe Finn could stop falling off the stage and Santana could fix when she goes slightly flat. And Quinn could stop smoking in class. She's given so much knowledge and encouragement to the others, but she just-"

"Well I hardly blame her," Bieste shook her head. "Puckerman and Fabray have been harping on Rachel for years, Will. A person of lesser stuff would have run away screaming forever ago."

"I just think they could all be something great...together," Miss Pillsbury sighed.

Meanwhile, at the two tables of kids, minus Kurt, Tina and Brittany, Rachel was openly glaring between Puck and Mike. She tapped her finger obnoxiously against the table, trying desperately to hold her tongue. She had already been caught fighting most uncouthly that day. She didn't need to be thrown out of a public eating facility as well. Mike's eyes met hers briefly before quickly going back to his trusty salt shaker, clearly he had some sense of guilt over the terrible way in which he was treating Tina. Her glare focused solely on Puckerman, who was bending all the spoons he could get his hands on.

"What did you do, Puckerman?" Rachel asked angrily.

"What are you on about Crazy?" Puck wondered, maintaining the most bored air he could muster, which was considerable.

"Why on Earth did you find the need to stop Mike from developing a fully rewarding relationship with Tina?" Rachel demanded.

"Fully rewarding? Is that like, nerd speak for a free pass to boob-ville?" Puck wondered.

"Boob-ville," Finn giggled.

"SHUT UP MORON," Quinn hissed.

"Preach it," Artie nodded, throwing an appreciative smirk Quinn's way.

"I can't control what Mike does," Puck scoffed at Rachel.

"You're the evil, _idiotic_ mastermind behind all of them," Rachel insisted in disgust.

"Uhm, I'm my own person, biznatch," Santana insisted. "Not all of us have to be a tiny hobbit with thrift store clothes to have individuality."

"OH, are you? Then you and Blai-" Rachel paused and bit her lip before shaking her head angrily. She wouldn't go there. No one deserved to be outed.

"What? SAY IT, I'm not scared of your freaking words, freak!" Santana yelled.

"I think she was going to say that you and Blaine aren't for real boyfriend and girlfriend," Finn finished eagerly. "I mean, you used to stare at Quinn a lot. And now you stare at Brittany."

"For REAL?" Artie whispered. "Thank you Jesus."

Rachel swallowed deeply, knowing she had stepped too far and would say no more, no matter how the clearly angry Santana would retaliate. Sure she hadn't made Finn say it aloud, but she had certainly given him the spring board. Rachel felt her keen sense of gaydar was a little too good this time as she watched Blaine angrily storm away from the table. She bit her lip and said quickly,

"I mean, clearly you're just dating to stay popular," Rachel backtracked. "And-"

"Now look what you did, Berry!" Puck yelled as Santana started screeching in Spanish and throwing whatever she could get her hands on. "She's going to get us thrown out!"

Rachel flinched as the first plate went flying. Before she knew it Santana was being forced out of the restaurant by Coach Bieste, and the rest of the Glee club and Jock squad were reluctantly following. Miss Pillsbury stayed behind and glared at Puck and Rachel with as much intensity as her Bambi doe eyes could manage.

"You two will be staying behind, and helping the staff clean the mess," Miss Pillsbury said resolutely. Both Puck and Rachel began to protest and the guidance counselor held up a stern hand. "Either pay for the damage, or help with the clean up, children."

"This fucking sucks and it's all your damn fault, Berry," Puck huffed as he stormed towards the hostess, hoping to get an easy clean up job.

Two hours of hard labor later, Puck and Rachel were in the parking lot, where Rachel suddenly realized that Kurt had given her a ride to the restaurant. She looked at her cellphone and realized it was 11:45. Far past the Hummel household's curfew for a school night.

"Get in the truck, Berry," Puck said gruffly. "Before I leave you here."

Rachel took a deep, soldiering breath before walking purposefully towards the truck. She wasn't surprised when Puck didn't open the door for her, and was thankful that he didn't see her struggle to get up in the ridiculously high truck. There should be a law against trucks with such large wheels.

"Where?" Puck demanded.

"The 400 block of Laurel street. Near 7th," Rachel said primly.

"Huh, two blocks from Hudson. Weird."

"I truly appreciate the ride home. However, can we please not talk?" Rachel wondered.

"Whatever," Puck huffed. He stared at the road and found he was taking the roads extra slow and definitely stopped at stop signs instead of just pausing. The silence lasted all of a minute and a half before he muttered, "I just don't get it."

"You just don't get what?" Rachel sighed.

"Nothin'." Puck shrugged.

"_Fine_," Rachel rolled her eyes.

The silence extended once again. This time only lasting roughly forty-five seconds.

"I think you're hot," Puck said suddenly.

Rachel's mouth dropped open, her jaw very nearly hitting the floor as she slowly turned her head to stare at Puck. Surprisingly enough, Puck was staring ahead intently, his face an amazing mix of befuddlement, anger and morbid fascination.

"I think you're hilarious when you get all uppity and sassy," Puck continued. "I can't understand why. You're a nerd. A geek. A _loser. _ There's no reason why I should like you. Your friends are stupid. Your clothes are stupid. But I find you hot and I like pushing your buttons. Why?"

"This is some kind of nightmare," Rachel whispered. "I should wake up and today won't have happened yet. Wake up Rachel. _Wake up_."

"Whatever, I think its just cause you're a Jew," Puck shrugged. "I like-had a dream, or whatever."

"I should wake up right now," Rachel pleaded to the heavens.

"So you like-don't think I'm hot too?" Puck wondered, more vulnerability in his voice than probably had ever been there before.

"Uhm..." Rachel paused, wordless for the first time in her life. Her mind raced and she said, "You are physically appealing. Your bad boy-"

"Save it," Puck said quickly. He looked out the window to his left and chuckled, "Finn is over there macking on your girl, Chocolate Thunder. GET THOSE BOOBS FINN!"

"You are _disgusting!" _Rachel hissed, although her head darted to the left regardless. "Oh my. Mercedes! Get your hand out of there!"

"Huh, weird," Puck furrowed his brow. "So no matter what I do, my people are going to taint themselves with Glee losers. I should have never said shit to Mike then."

"So you admit it. You're the one keeping Mike from admitting his true feelings for Tina, thereby breaking my friend's heart?" Rachel asked, her sweet voice and suddenly saccharine demeanor belying the sudden anger and ire in her heart.

"Uhm...yeah?" Puck said softly. "But you have to admit, I had Chang-squared's best interests at heart. I mean, Tina was getting harrassed just for being friends with Mike. You all got into a brawl today!"

"Save it," Rachel snapped. She pointed ahead and said, "There's my house."

"Look, I know you think I'm a major douche right now, but I just want to keep the natural order," Puck insisted. "Breaking the mold around here...it usually just winds up with us getting-you know, all broken and shit."

"Save your profane life lessons for someone who will appreciate them," Rachel shook her head in disgusted amazement. Puck came to a stop and she readily hopped out of the truck. "I will _never_ find you acceptable material for a companion. You will never be quote _hot_ unquote to me. Because you disgust me. And I would praise the heavens if I never had to see your face again."

She slammed the door and rushed to her front door. Puck watched her with a blank face. Her door slammed before his face fell and he shook his head in disappointment. He still thought she was hot. But more importantly?

He really didn't want her to think of him the way that she clearly thought of him.

"Fuck."

* * *

><p>One more part to go! Thanks again for reading.<p> 


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